"Why did you say such awful things yesterday?"
The day after the Japanese Oaks had come to an end, Equinox stood on her private training ground, her voice flat and expressionless.
Her mother was a renowned Uma Musume, and her family held significant sway within Tokyo.
Compared to Liberty Island—who carried the nickname of a "Young Lady" but actually hailed from a merely well-to-do family—Equinox was the true scion of a noble house.
It was only natural, then, for her to possess a private training facility entirely separate from Tracen Academy.
Sea the Stars didn't offer an answer. She simply continued her warm-up in silence.
The professional team that had followed her from the Irish Tracen Academy seemed to sense the brittle atmosphere between the two.
They tactfully withdrew from the field, leaving the space to these two Uma Musume who were destined to shake the world.
"..."
"That is my business," Sea the Stars finally muttered.
"But in their eyes, we are a unit." Equinox's tone turned cold.
She wasn't calling Sea the Stars "Senior" today, and the smile she always wore when meeting Dream Weaver was nowhere to be found.
"I have no intention of letting my relationship with Dream Weaver and the others sour because of you."
"Is it because you missed your only chance to truly connect with her? Is that why you're so desperate to leave a mark on her mind?"
Sea the Stars didn't deny it. Instead, she spoke in a low, gravelly voice.
"...Someone like you, who merely admires her, wouldn't understand."
"For the sake of that Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, I gave up almost everything else in my life. All of it was so I could finally stand on the same stage as her."
"But she actually gave up... She abandoned the Arc she's held onto for so long?! She never faltered after so many failures, yet now she's willing to retreat to the sidelines just for the sake of a few Uma Musume?!"
Her voice grew heated, her fists clenching instinctively as her words tore from her throat in a near-howl.
"The life of a Trainer has eroded her fighting spirit. I can't see even a flicker of obsession for the turf in her eyes anymore."
"I won't accept her becoming like that! That person... isn't Dream Weaver at all!"
Equinox didn't offer the usual comforts of a teammate. She continued her own warm-up routines methodically. Only when she felt ready did she speak, her voice casual, almost indifferent.
"That's just your own wishful thinking."
"At the end of the day, Dream Weaver never promised you anything. How she decides her future has nothing to do with you."
"Yesterday was the very first time you two even officially met. Don't you think you're being a bit conceited, projecting so much onto her? As a fan, maintaining a proper distance from your idol is a basic skill."
Sea the Stars let out a cold snort.
"Your dream is to be her successor, so you're satisfied with maintaining a fan-idol relationship."
"But I am different..."
"What I want is to step onto the same battlefield as her—the Arc de Triomphe, where everyone reaches their absolute limit!"
Equinox kicked at the turf with the toe of her shoe. After confirming the track conditions for the day, she spoke nonchalantly.
"And so, having missed your only chance to face her at the Arc, you've flown into a shameful rage."
"To prove that Dream Weaver's choice was a mistake—to prove that the place she truly belongs is the racetrack—you chose me back at the Dubai Sheema Classic."
"You chose me, the one destined to battle her student, Liberty Island."
Having finished her preparations, Equinox turned her head, her gaze level as she addressed Sea the Stars.
"But I am not your student."
The scene at yesterday's Japanese Oaks had gathered three world-class Uma Musume representing the past, the present, and the future.
As the "future," Equinox stood at the same height as Sea the Stars and Dream Weaver, and she possessed a pride to match.
Out of admiration, she could show a side of herself to Dream Weaver that she showed no one else. And because she wanted to draw closer to her—to become her undisputed successor—she had accepted Sea the Stars' invitation to collaborate.
But she didn't need help to defeat Liberty Island. She had done that countless times back at Northern Farm.
The only reason Equinox had partnered with Sea the Stars was for the world-class sparring partner she provided.
Constant mock races against Sea the Stars would help Equinox reach her "complete form" much faster.
However, this partnership wasn't strictly necessary for Equinox.
Even without Sea the Stars, she would still become a world-class talent; it might just take a little longer, which wasn't an unacceptable trade-off.
In contrast, Sea the Stars was the one who truly couldn't afford for this partnership to break.
Without the link between Equinox and Liberty Island, she had no reason to involve herself in Dream Weaver's future.
Dream Weaver was currently in a state of semi-retirement, with two Uma Musume under her wing.
Setting Hishi Miracle aside for a moment, Liberty Island possessed, in Sea the Stars' eyes, the genuine potential for the Triple Tiara.
By showing such high-level coaching in her first attempt at training, Dream Weaver was clearly moving toward a career as a Trainer.
This meant Sea the Stars would lose the prerequisite she once imagined—meeting Dream Weaver in the Dream Cup.
Sea the Stars believed that if she wanted to fight Dream Weaver now, she had to first invalidate her current choice. She had to make her realize that Liberty Island could never beat Equinox.
She wanted to prove one thing: Dream Weaver's true stage wasn't behind the scenes. It was on the track.
At the same time, by inserting herself into the conflict between Equinox and Liberty Island and acting as the aggressor, Sea the Stars was guaranteed to earn Dream Weaver's loathing.
But she didn't care. If a provocation was what it took to get the other woman to fight her, Sea the Stars would accept any look Dream Weaver gave her.
That was why she had used such harsh words during their first meeting. She needed a way to be remembered—to ensure Dream Weaver etched her name into her mind, even if it was through anger.
Once Liberty Island was defeated, a Dream Weaver filled with rage would naturally choose an Uma Musume's most primal instinct to vent: combat. And there, Sea the Stars would be waiting for her on the turf.
But that was Sea the Stars' plan. Equinox had no desire to let a rift form between herself and Dream Weaver, which was why she was laying down the law the morning after.
"Of course you aren't my student."
Sea the Stars, having finished her warm-up long ago, walked toward the starting line. With her back to Equinox, she spoke.
"But right now, you can't be called a 'world-class' Uma Musume either."
"On the track, you are still far beneath me."
Equinox quickened her pace to catch up, walking firmly beside her.
"That day won't be far off," she whispered with absolute conviction.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.